[Cancer mortality in Brazil 1980-1995: regional patterns and time trends]

To analyze the distribution and time-series trends of cancer mortality in the Northern, Northeastern, Central Western, Southern and Southeastern Brazilian geographic regions from 1980 to 1995.

Deaths according to year, age, gender and municipality of residence, were ascertained from the Ministry of Health. Age-adjusted rates were calculated for specific cancer sites by gender in the five Brazilian geographic regions.

Lung and breast cancers were, respectively in males and females, the main causes of cancer deaths in the Brazilian population. Overall cancer mortality rates for whole country declined among males (-0.3%) and females (-4.8%). But, rates were on increase for cancers of prostate (38.3%), lung (10.5%) and, more recently, colorectal (14.5% from 1989 to 1995) in males, and for lung (26.7%), breast (9.9%) and colorectal (10.2% from 1989 to 1995) in females. Mortality rates by lung and other tobacco related cancers were higher in the Southern and Southeastern. Females in the Northern and Northeastern had more expressive mortality rates by cervical cancer than other regions, and an inverse trend was observed for breast cancer.

Mortality rates by all cancers were heterogeneous in Brazil. The risk of death by cancer was higher in the Southern and Southeastern regions, but was decreasing in these regions, the more developed in the country. The other regions, less developed, had lower mortality rates by cancer, but the rates were on increase. From 1991 to 1995, it was observed the stability of mortality rates from tobacco related cancers, fact less perceived among females.